The extension of variability properties in gamma-ray bursts to blazars

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that gamma-ray bursts and blazars share similar jet variability properties, extending known correlations between variability timescale, Lorentz factor, and luminosity across both source types, indicating similar jet physics.

Contribution

It extends variability correlations from GRBs to blazars, suggesting similar jet physics despite different central engine masses.

Findings

Correlation between MTS and Lorentz factor extended to blazars.

MTS correlates inversely with gamma-ray luminosity in both sources.

Supports similar jet physics in GRBs and blazars.

Abstract

Both gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and blazars have relativistic jets pointing at a small angle from our line of sight. Several recent studies suggested that these two kinds of sources may share similar jet physics. In this work, we explore the variability properties for GRBs and blazars as a whole. We find that the correlation between minimum variability timescale (MTS) and Lorentz factor, $\Gamma$, as found only in GRBs by Sonbas et al. can be extended to blazars with a joint correlation of $\rm MTS\propto\Gamma^{-4.7\pm0.3}$. The same applies to the $\rm MTS\propto \it L_{\gamma}^{\rm -1.0\pm0.1}$ correlation as found in GRBs, which can be well extended into blazars as well. These results provide further evidence that the jets in these two kinds of sources are similar despite of the very different mass scale of their central engines. Further investigations of the physical origin of these correlations are needed, which can shed light on the nature of the jet physics.